The invention relates to the processing of material samples in space and, particularly, to the rapid heating and cooling of a material sample in space by means of a controlled temperature profile.
The environment for heating and cooling processes of material samples in space does not lend itself to conventional heating and cooling techniques. In space, a stable and controlled temperature profile must be established from a heat source which is a problem to which considerable attention need be given, particularly at elevated temperatures of 1000 to 1200 degrees Centigrade. Combustion reactions are too dependent on environmental pressure and tend to be unstable and difficult to control for accurate heat processing in space. Exothermic reactions produce heat reactions fairly independent of environmental pressure and have been utilized as heat sources mainly for unsophisticated domestic applications, such as for thermal batteries as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,158,084.
Accordingly, an important object of the present invention is to provide a highly controllable and reliable means for heating material samples in space experiments.
Yet another important object of the present invention is to provide apparatus for heating and cooling material samples by means of a controlled temperature profile in space environments.
Still another important object of the present invention is to provide apparatus for rapidly heating material samples and thereafter rapidly quenching the temperature for the processing of foamed metals in space environments.